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Utah gets low mark for patriotism in national study

Posted at 5:45 PM, Jul 04, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-04 19:45:41-04

SALT LAKE CITY -- A study ranked Utah as one of the least patriotic states in the nation, surprising many Utahns this Fourth of July.

The Beehive State was numbered 38th most patriotic state, according to a study published by the personal finance website, WalletHub.com.

The study explains the low ranking is due to young Utahns not enlisting in the military and the state having a relatively small community of veterans.

WalletHub also ranked Utah 45th in the nation in terms of military involvement.

“As a veteran, I'm surprised to hear that Utah ranks only 45 in military service,” said Steve Lewis, who was attending the annual parade in Kaysville.

Utah scored well in civic engagement, which considers volunteering and political involvement among other things, scoring seventh best in the country.

Utah seems to be an outlier in the study because members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which representing well over half of the state’s population, emphasizes missionary service for 18- and 19-year-old adherents.